Minnesota Officials Warn of Effects of GOP Health Care Bill

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ State officials are warning that Republicans' latest
health care bill in Congress could have dire effects in Minnesota.

The fate of the GOP's effort to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's
health care law is still up in the air. The Senate left for recess without
voting on a bill after the Congressional Budget Office estimated it would cause
22 million people to lose coverage.

Minnesota's top health care regulator said Wednesday changes to Medicaid
funding could cost the state $2 billion in the first 18 months. Department of
Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper also says it would eliminate almost all
funding for a low-income health care program called MinnesotaCare.

Gov. Mark Dayton says that would be ``catastrophic'' for the state's budget and
its services.